Oil-well combination casing and packing head



p 1929- L. J. MILDREN 1,728,432

OIL WELL COMBINATION CASING AND PACKING HEAD Filed Feb. 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l j/ g-n'uemdm, L. J. Nil :11? E11 Sept. 17, 1929. j MlLDREN 1,728,432

OIL WELL COMBINATION CASING AND PACKING HEAD Filed Feb. 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 147 Q: 1? IHNMWI 1 E gl wmtoz Patented Sept. -17, 1929 UNITED STATES LORY J. MILDREN, OF PONCA. CITY, OKLAHOMAv OIL-WELL COMBINATION CASING AND PACKING HEAD Application filed February 21, 1927. Serial No. 170,027.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for supporting casings and tubings in oil wells and the like, and has particular reference. withrespect to an improved combination casing, tubing and packing providing casinghead structure.

The primary object of this invention is the provisiono'f an improved casing head constructionfor use in connection with oil wells,

- having spider means associated therewith for supporting tubing or casing within a casing, and having novel packing means associated with the tubing or casing and spider for eliminating blowout preventers, such asorditus for supporting tubing'and casings in oil wells, embodying novel packing which 'utilizes the wei ht of thetubing or casing to rovide a leak ead, insuch relation that the packing is rotectedagainst excessive casing or tu ing weight. g

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved casing head construction which may be utilized to detachably support a packing compressing spider, in such manner that the same may be removed'with well tubing, and an oil saver or sealing cap applied in an elficient relation upon the casin head, without removing the latter and 40 su stituting a special structure.

' Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings,'forming a part of this specification. and wherein similar reference characters designate corre-' sponding parts throughout the several views. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the improved apparatus, showing more particularly a tubing. or casing support- -proof seal through the casing.

ing spider or follower used in the novel caslng head for the purpose of compressing the packing to efl'ect a gas seal thru the casing head; the device showing-the lowering of the spider just prior to final seating and compression of the packing.

Figure2 is a vertical sectional viewof details in their normal cooperating position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper portion of the casing head with the spider or follower removed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 'ofvFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the casing head, with the tubing or casing and spider removed, andan oil saver substituted.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the casing head construction, with the tubing or casing drawn and a cap in place.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7Z of Figure 6.

' Figure 8 is a side elevation of the spider or follower whereinthe casing of tubing supporting slips are positioned.

Figure 9 is a plan view'of'thedetails illustrated in Figure 8. v

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of; illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generally designate the apparatus, which may consist of a: casing head B, adapted to sup port a casing C. A spider D is employed, having clamping slips E associated therewith for supporting casing or tubing F in the spider D and tubing casinghead B and casing C; the follower or spider being formed to operate upon a lower compressible packing structure G in the casing head in a sealing relation with respect to the upper part of the passagewa thru the casing head; an upper packing being provided above the packing structure G with which the follower or spider D also cooperates, and with which may also cooperate an oil saver K, cap L, or in fact any apparatus conventionally adapted to be supported upon the top of a casing head in thedabsence of a tubing or casing supporting Spl er.

The casing head B is of one piece construction, including the cylindrical shaped body portion 10, having a passageway 11 in the 7 lower end thereof, for detachably receivin the upper screw threaded end of conventiona casing sections C. The passageway extends entirely thru the casing head, and diametrically opposed screw threaded ports 12 and 13 are provided transverse to the screw thread: ed passageway 11, for detachably receiving pipes 14, for carrying off gas, liquid, sand and the like. In the passageway of the casing body 10, above the pipes 14 is an annular flange or shoulder 17, providing an annular horizontally disposed top surface 18 facing upwardly in the upper portion 19 of the passageway thru the body 10, whereon the packing construction G seats in a relation to be subsequentl described. The passageway 2O restrict ed. th ru the'annular shoulder 17 is of adiameter larger than the diameter of the tubing F, to permit unobstructed extension or retraction'of the tubing or casing with respect to the inner periphery ofthe shoulder 17 as will be apparent from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. An annular bevel or downwardl converging slope is provided on the shoul er 17 between the surface 18 and pas: sageway, as shown at 21 to enable tubing and casing to pass thru opening 2O without catching. The passageway 19 from the shoulder 17 upwardly to the top of the casing head is preferably unobstructed and of the same diameter.

The top portion 20 of the casing head body 10 is annularly enlarged and provided with an annular groove 21 inwardly from the top edge 22 thereof wherein the packing H is adapted to be seated;'.the annular groove 21 being separated from the passageway 19 by an upwardly extending annular flange 23, the top edge of which is in a plane below the top edge 22. I

The packing material H is preferably of any resilient or compressible nature, being ring-shaped for seating in the groove 21, and in cross section the same being preferably rectangular, square or otherwise polygonal, for seating snugly into the groove 21, and when so seated the top edge 27 of the packing H is located in a plane between the planes of the top edges 22 and 24 above described, as is well illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, so that the packing H may be compressed bv the spider D, as will be subsequently described, without the spider coming to rest at the edge 24.

The spider D includes a body portion 30, having a reduced sleeve-like portion 31 therebelow, and at the juncture of the portions 30 and 31 providing a downwardly facing horizontally disposed annular shoulder 32 in a plane at right angles to the axis of the spider... A-passageway 34 thru the sleeve portion 31 is contiguous with a tapered upwardly divergent passageway 36 thru the body portion 30;

' the tapered passageway 36 being adapted to mamas receive the slips Eof any approved construction'r The external diameter of the sleeve portion 31 is such that it may snugly slidably fit in the passageway 19 of the casing head B, and the external passageway of the body portion 30 is such that it may just snugly slidably fit in the upper end of the casing head above the packing H; it being intended that the shoulder 32 shall seat upon. the top edge 27 of the packing H duringthe assemblage of the spider in the casing head. The passageway 34 is such that its diameter is preferably the same as the passageway in the casing C, to permit the free movement of the tubng or casing F longitudinally therethrough.

provided at diametrically opposed locations.

on the upper part of the spider body 30, to detachably receive the supporting arms 46 of an elevator M; the lugs 45 having transversely outwardly opening ways therein thru which the elevator arms may be assembled, and retained therein by the detachable block 48 held by pins 49.

The packing structure G preferably includes a lower set of metal rings and an upper set of metal rings. The upper and lower sets of metal rings each have two complete rings 50 and 51, each ring of which includes a pair,

of complementary half sections as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings; the sections of the ring 50 being such that when complementarilyarranged their juncture 55 at the edges thereof lie on a diametrical line preferably at right angles to the diametrical line formed by the junctures at the edges of the half sections of the ring 51, the juncture of the edges of the ring 51 being shown at 57 in the drawings. In this manner the upper and lower sets of rings are practically continuous although admitting of some radial flexibility, to provide firm seats for retaining the compressible packing rings 60 in place there between, against liability of distortion during the sealing operation.

As is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the spider or follower D, with the tubing or casing F supported therein by the slips E, is lowered thru the passageway 19 of the easing head and thru the casing C supported by the casing head, until the bottom edge of the sleeve portion 31 comes to rest upon the top set of metal rings'of the packing construction Gr, and this position is illustrated in Figure 1, where it is shown that the lower edge 32 of the spider body 30 is spaced above the top edge of the packin H, and as the weight of the spider and tubing is placed on the packing construction G, it is readily apparent that the compressible rings will be compressed radially inward, because they fit snugly in the passageway 19, into a liquid sealed relation with the outer periphery of the tubing or casing F, and the compressible rings 60 cannot be distorted upwardly or below the sections of the upper and lower sets of metallic rings 50 and 51, and as the compression on the packing construction G is at its maximum, the shoulder 32 rests upon the top edge 27 of the washer or gasket H, compressing the same to the position illustrated in Figure 2, and taking some of the support of the tubing or casing, to prevent the packing G from taking the full weight of the tubing. The packing H may expand radially inward over the top edge 24 of the flange 23, as illustrated, and at this location a fluid sealed joint is also provided.

It is readily apparent from Figure 2 of the drawings that the entire string of tubingor casing may be withdrawn by the elevator M, and the packing construction G may then be removed, and a cap L or an oil saver K placed in the upper portion of the casing head, without the necessity of numerous replacement of easing heads and the like. To place the oil saver K in a position merely necessitates the withdrawal of the tubing, the spider D, and the packing construction G, and the supporting flange of the oil saver K may be placed on the packing H, in the upper enlarged socket of the casing head B, and the retaining screws 66 adjusted transversely thru the screw-threaded openings 67 provided therefor in the top portion of the casing head B, and the base portion 65 of the oil saver may then be clamped into a liquid sealed relation with the packing H, as is apparent from Figure 5 of the drawings. In similar manner the cap L may be placed.

From the foregoing description of this invention it is apparent that a novel casing head and packing construction hasbeen provided, which simplifies, theapparatus necessary to place various caps, oil savers, spiders, and the like on the casing head, in an eflicient and liquid sealed relation.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described an oil well casing head having a passageway therethrough, means at the lower end of the casing head or supportin a casing, the casing head above said means the casing head in the passageway above said ports having an annular supporting shoulder, compressible packing on said annular supporting shoulder in said passageway of aving transverse ports,

the casing head, a spider reciprocably movable in the passageway in resting relation on the compressible packing, means on the spider for supporting tubing thru the passageway and thru any casing which mag be supported by the casing head, and tu ing spider engaging packing means between the spider and the top of said casing head.

2. As an article of manufacture a casing head having a passageway therethrough and a transverse port to the passageway, means in the passageway above the port for supporting substantially ring-shaped compressible packing, and means on the top of the casing head facing upwardly for supporting a compressible packing of larger internal diameter than the passageway in which said first mentioned packing rests.

3. In a casing head construction a casing head body having means to support a casing at the lower end thereof and a transverse portabove said means and an annular shoulder extending into the casing head passageway above said port adapted to support a compressible packing, and a compressible packing in the top of said'casing head facing upwardly in spaced relation above said annular shoulder, adapted to receive an oil saver, or cap, or the like in clamping engagement thereagainst.

4. In an oil well combination casing and packing head the combination of an oil well casing head having a passageway therethrough, means at the lower end of the easing head for supporting acasing, said casing head above said means having a transverse port, a ring-shaped packing, means in the casing above said port for supporting said packing in the passageway, a spider movably supported by the casing head in extended relation into the passageway, in resting relalation on the packing ring and partially supported thereby, means on the spider for supporting tubing through the passageway and in extending relation through the ringshaped' packing, said spider having a downwardly facing annular shoulder above said packing and ring-shaped packing carried by the casing head above the first mentioned packing and facing upwardly for receiving the annular shoulder of said spider thereagainst to compress said last mentionedringshaped packing at the same time that the first mentioned packing is compressed and to assist in supporting of said spider and its load.

' LORY J. M 5 BEN. 

